Sand toy



Get. 14 1924.

A. SHEA SAND TOY Filed March 9. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet Get, 14 1924.

\ A.. SHEA SAND TOY Filed March 9. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet KV/ZA ESSES o t t a Patented Oct. 14, 1924.

UNITED STATES ARTHUR or AURORA, ILLINOIS.

SAND 'roY.

Application filed March 9, 1923. Serial No. 623,995.

T all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ARTHUR SHEA, a citizen of the United States, residing at Aurora, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in. a Sand Toy, of which thefollowingis a specification. I g

This invention relates to toys of the gravity operated type and the primary object of the invention is to provide an improved sand toy embodying a car adapted to travel around a spiral track, with means for normally pulling the car up the track and means for automatically loading the car when the same reaches the upper end of the track for causing the same to move down the track against the action of said means for moving the car up the track and means for automatically dumping the load from the car, when the same reaches the bottom of the track. I

Another object of the invention is to provide novel means for mounting the car upon the track and novel means for causing the automatic loading of the car from a suitable hopper, when the car reaches a pre-determined position at the upper end of the track. r

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel trip formed in the track itself for causing the automatic dumping of the car, when the same reaches a predetermined position at the lower end of the track. I

A further objectof the invention is to provide a novel means for automatically raising the car up the track, when the load carried thereby has been dumped, said means embodying a weight, and novel means for winding the weight upon a suitable drum, when the car is being moved down the track by the weight of the load carried thereby.-

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved gravity operated.

dumping toy of the above character, which will .be durable and efficient in use, one which will be simple and easy to manufacture and one which can be placed upon the market at a reasonable cost.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter more specifically described,

claimed and illustrated in the accompanylng drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved toy, showing parts thereof broken away.

Figure .2 is a horizontal section through the toy taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail perspective view showing the novel means utilized for automatically dumping the car when the same reaches apre-determined position on the track.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of the device showing the modified form of track and a modified form of means for returning the car to its normal position at the upper end of the track.

Figure 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line 5-5 of Figurel.

'Figure 6 is a detail transverse section through the modified form of carand track, showing the track with raised portions defining rails.

Figure 7 is a transverse section through a further modified form of tra'cl'r showing struck-out ways therein forming guides for the wheels of the car.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary side elevation showing a further modified form of means for normally raisin the car to the upper end of the track.

Figure 9 is a horizontal section showing the modified form of the invention illustrated in Figure, 8.

, Referrin to the drawings in detail, wherein similar reference cl'iar'aloters designate corresponding parts throu hout the several. views the letter A generallly indicates the improved sand toy which includes a base plate or block 10 having a supporting standard 11 secured thereto adjacent one end thereof, as at 12.

The extreme upper end of the standard 11 has secured thereto in any preferred manner a hopper 13, in which is adapted to beplaced some suitable granular substance, such as sand or the like. The lower end of the hopper 13 has formed thereon an inwardly extending ar'cuate loading funnel 14L, the lower end of which is normally closed by the gate 15. This gate 15 is carried by a bracket 16, which is pivoted as at 17 to the ating sweep 21.

sides of the funnel. The bracket 16 is disposed at a pointat one side of the balance of the gate 15, so that the gate will be normally held in a closed position by its own weight. The gate is substantially of ascoop shape and when tipped, by means, which will be hereinafter more fullydescribed, the same forms a guide for the sand flowing out of the funnel 14. A bearing 18 is carried by the hopper 13 and directly below the bearing 18 is a suitable bearing 19 carried by the block 10. The bearings 18 and 19 rotatably support the operating shaft 20 which has secured thereto the radially extending oper- This sweep 21 is substantially-U-sl1ape and as can be clearly seen by referring to Figure 1 of the drawings.

As shown the bearing 18 is formed on one end of a bracket 22 and the opposite end of this bracket has formed thereon a depending ear 23, which supports the upper end of a spiral track 24, the lower end of which terminates in a straight attaching portion 25, which is secured in-any preferred manner to the base block 10. The shaft 20 extends axially through the spiral track 24, which in this instance is shown to be constructedfrom a suitable rod. A car 30 is adapted to travel on the track 24 and includes a body of sub;- stantially scoop-shape which is suspended from a carrier or truck 32. The carrier or truck 32 comprises side plates 33, the opposite ends of which support grooved rotatable rollers 34 that engage the spiral track 24. Depending brackets 35 are formed on the truck or carrier 32 and these brackets have pivoted thereto as at 31 the body 31 of the 'car. A suitable pin 36 can be secured to the body 31 for engaging one bracket 35 so as to limit the rearward swinging movement of the said body 31. The forward end of the body 31 has riveted or otherwise secured thereto the outwardly extending trip arm 37, carrying a rotatable trip roller 38 for engaging the track 24.. V

The portion of the track 24 adjacent to the attaching portion 25 is provided with a downwardly bent trip portion 39 and it is obvious that when the roller 38 comes into engagement with the trip portion '39 of the track, that the body 31 will be swung-on the carrier 32 and thus dump the load being carried by the said body. A suitable bin 40 is supported by the base block 10 for receiving the load from the body 31. The rear end of the scoop-shaped body 31 of the car 30 carries a rearwardly extending trip 41 having a curved depending portion 42.

When the car reaches the extreme upper end of the track, it can be seen that the curved,

end 42 is adapted to engage under the depending portion of the gate and thus swing the same on its pivot 17, which will permit the flow of the sand from the hopper 13 into the car.

track, the gate 15 will be returned to its normal position by the weight of the rear end thereof.

A rearwardly extending bracket 43 is carr'ied by the hopper 13 and a suitable pulley 44 is rotatably secured to the bracket. A similar bracket 45 and pulley 46 is secured to the base block 10 and a cord or cable 47 is trained around the pulleys 46 and 44. One end of the cable or cord 47 has secured thereto a suitable weight 48, and if so desired the standard 11 can form a guide therefor. The opposite endof the cable or cord 47 is wound about a drum 49, secured to the shaft 20 for rotation therewith in any preferred way.

In operation of the improved toy, the weight 48 will normallytend to unwind the cable from the drum 49, which will of course.

rotate the shaft 20. The shaft 20 will move the sweep 21 thereof, which is in engage ment with a roller 50 carried by the inner extending arm 51 secured to the truck or carrier 32. The rotation of the sweep 21 will pull the car 30 up the track and when the trip 41 engages the gate, as heretofore described the sand will flow into the car body 31. When the weight of the sand in the car body 31 overcomes the action of gravity on the weight 48, the car 30 will descend the spiral track 24 and move the sweep 21 in a reverse direction and wind the cable up on the drum 49. and move the weight 48 to a raised position. 'When the car reaches the lower end of the track the same will be automatically dumped, as heretofore described and the sand will flow into, the bin 40. Now the weight '48 being greater than the weight of the car 30 will pull the car again to its raised fore described. V

It is obvious that different forms of tracks, cars and means for raising the cars to a raised position can be employed and in Fig-' ures 4 and 5 is shown a modified form of the. mvention.

In this form of the invention a spiral track is provided, which is preferably formed of sheet metal and the track 6 0 can either be provided withstruck-up portions to provide rails 61 for the wheels on the car or with struck-in portions 62 form,-

position as heretoing guides for the wheels of the truck. 7

This is clearly shown in Figures 6 and 7 of the drawings. An operating shaft 63 is disposed axially within the track 60 and is supported by any preferred type of stand-' ard 64. This-standard 64 also supports a bracket 65 to which is rigidly attached a relatively small beveled gear wheel 66, the hub of which receives the shaft 63. The shaft 63 supports the outwardly or radially extending sweep 67, on the upper arm of which is rotatably mounted a relatively When the car moves down the large beveled gear wheel 68, that meshes upper surface of the track 69 and the truck portion thereof which supports the car body carries an outwardly extending arm 73 on which is rotatably mounted the roller 74 for engaging the sweep 67L It is obvious that when the car 72 has received its load from the hopper, that the same will travel around the track 60, and will turn the sweep 67. The relatively large bevel gear 68 will of course be moved around with the sweepand in view of its engagement with the rigid bevel gear 66, the same will be rotated on the sweep and thus wind the cable 70 up on the drum 69. WVhen the car 72 has been dumped, the Weight 71 will return the same to its normal position.

In Figures 8 to 9 inclusive is shown a still further modified form of means for returning the car to the upper end of the track and in this form the weight is slidably mounted on the central operating shaft 81. A winding drum 82 loosely receives the shaft 81 adjacent to the upper end thereof and is rigidly secured to a supporting bracket 83, that can be secured in position against movement to any preferred part of the toy. The shaft- 81 supports the sweep 84, which is in engagement with the dumping car (not shown). The upper arm 85 of the sweep 84 receives the shaft 81 and has secured thereto a pair of rightangularly disposed guide pulleys 86 and 87, around which is trained the cable 88,

the lower end of which is secured to the weight 80. The upper arm 85 of the sweep 84 also supports a guide pulley 89 around which the cable is trained after the same leaves the guide pulley 87. An arm 90 is also secured to the upper arm 85 of the sweep 84 and this arm 90 carries the pulley 89 and a guide pulley 91. The guide pulley 91 is located adjacent to the periphery of the drum 82 and is adapted to wind the cable about the drum 82 when the sweep 84 is being turned in a clock-wise direction by the downward movement of a loaded car. It can be seen of course that the cable 88 is trained about pulley 91 after leaving the guide pulley 89 and thus the inner end of the cable is wound about the drum 82. WVhen the weight 80 has been lifted to'its raised position by the wind ing of the cable about the drum 82 and the load in the car has been released, the weight 80 will descend and thus raise the car to its normal raised position.

From the foregoing description, it can be seen that an improved and simple gravity operated:- toy has been provided, which will afford a maximum amount of amusement to the operator;

Ghaaigesin details may be made without departing from the spirit or the scope of this invention but what I claim as new 1s:-

1. In a toy, the combination of a spiral track, a rotatable shaft disposed axially within the track, a car including a tilting body disposed uponthe track for travel thereon, an outwardly extending sweep secured to the shaft and extending the entire height of the track, means carried by the car for engaging the sweep to cause the rotation of the shaft, means located at the upper end of the track actuated by the car for automatically loading the car to cause the same to descend, and means for rotating the shaft in one direction for causing the car to ascend the track when the same is in an unloaded condition.

2. In a toy, the combination of a spiral track, a rotatable shaft disposed axially within the track, a car mounted for travel on the track, a radially extending sweep se-- cured to the shaft and extending the height of the track, means carried by the car for engaging the sweep to cause the rotation of the shaft during movement of the car, means disposed at the upper end of the track for automatically loading the car and actuated by the car, a pin at the lower end of the track for receiving the load from the car whenthe same reaches the lower end of the track and a weight for causing the rotation of the shaft in one direction for causing the car to ascend the track when the same is in its unloaded condition.

3. In a gravity operated toy, a spiral track, a rotatable shaft disposed axially within the track, a radially extending sweep carried by the shaft extending the height of the track, a car mounted to travel upon the track having connection with the sweep for causing the rotation of the shaft during movement of the car, a drum, having connection with the shaft and means for causing the rotation of the shaft in one direction by said drum when the car is in an unloaded condition. 7

4. In a gravity operated toy, a track, a car mounted to travel upon the track including a tilting body, a tipping arm carried by the body, and a track trip formed in the track adapted to be engaged by said arm to cause the tilting of said body.

5. In a gravity operated toy, a. track, a car mounted for movement on the track including a swinging car body, an outwardly extending trip arm carried by the body and a trip portion formed in the track for engaging the trip arm to cause the tilt ing of said body.

6. In a gravity operated toy, a rotatable shaft, a spiral track disposed about the shaft, a car mounted upon the track for movement thereon, a radially extending sweep carried by the shaft, an arm carried by the car for engaging the sweep, a drum rotatably carried by the sweep, a stationary beveled pinion, a relatively large beveled pinion carried by the drum for movement about the stationary pinion, a cable Wound about the drum, and a weight secured to the lower end of the cable.

7. In a gravity operated toy, a rotatable shaft, a Weight slidably mounted upon the shaft, a rigid drum arranged in axial re lation to the shaft, a radially extending sweep carried by the shaft, a cable Wound upon the drum and secured to the weight, guide pulleys carried by the sweep for winding the cable on and off said drum.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses. Y

ARTHUR SHEA.

WVitnesses: I

NICK OROS, AMELIA JANKoWsKI. 

